Millions up in smoke: NY has nation's highest cigarette tax; why do so few pay it?

Syracuse Post-Standard ^ | 12/13/15 | Teri Weaver

[bigbob]

Why pay more to kill yourself than you have to?

[Hoodat]

The bottom line here is that the government wants you to continue smoking. First for the tax revenues. Secondly, because they hope you get heart disease and die before you can begin collecting social security.

I envision the day where our government will be giving out free cigarettes to everyone to relieve the strain on medicare and social security.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

But people are also quitting smoking! Isn't this what the libs want?

Don't tell me that higher cigarette taxes was really going to go to stop smoking initiatives < /S >

[ilovesarah2012]

I often wonder if people are liberals because they are stupid or they are stupid because they are liberals.

[luvbach1]

The health benefits now that I’m in my mid 60s are most certainly there.

Right you are. My beloved father smoked cigarettes for 45 years and died of cardiac arrest at 60. I haven't smoked them and am going to be 78 in May. And I can still think.

[VermiciousKnid]

LOL Indeed. I am born and bred in NYC, and I don’t wanna meet Vinnie the Kneebuster, either!

Regards,

[luvbach1]

What absolutely slays me is the number of pooooooooor people who smoke.

You make a good point with that. Also, anyone who has traveled abroad has to have noticed the huge (compared to the US) percentage of people who smoke. Especially true in Asian countries. Good that they like American cigarettes.

[headstamp 2]

https://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=hts&oq=&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGHP_enUS620US620&q=Top-O-Matic

[ROCKLOBSTER]

How that in and of itself does not cause people to stop is beyond me.

Because they're stupid?

[VermiciousKnid]

The cops I know REALLY wish the City would stop wanting them to deal with “tobacco enforcement.” Besides, where do you think the cops buy THEIR cigarettes? Not from the 7-11, that’s for sure.

Regards,

[headstamp 2]

It’s because they are intellectually lazy.

[ResponseAbility]

If those cops are buying their cigarettes from them, how do you know they are not also transacting for the pols in their district?

[Vince Ferrer]

Cigarette taxes apre the most regressive taxes in the US. One study found poor people paid 25% of their entire income in cigarette taxes. All to pay for the bicycle trails in lilly white neighborhoods.

[billyboy15]

“How that in and of itself does not cause people to stop is beyond me.”

Because they’re stupid?

**********************************************************

Well yes, to put it bluntly. But be careful what you say about this because some jerk off named jonascord actually threatened me for being “smug” due to my comment in this thread.

[oh8eleven]

All to pay for the bicycle trails in lilly white neighborhoods.
Gasoline taxes pay for bike trails.
But you have a point - there are a lot of people in poooooor neighborhoods who have to use bikes because they lost their licenses via DWIs.
Maybe that would end the violence in poooooooor neighborhoods - bike trails.

[catnipman]

“Top-O-Matic”

You can still buy ‘em new, but looks like you got a good deal at the yard sale:

http://www.amazon.com/Lighter-USA-T2MAC-Top-O-Matic-Cigarette/dp/B002SR9PPY

[VermiciousKnid]

Well...I don’t. I must say, though, that I don’t know too many cops who can even STAND the politicians, let alone feel the need to help them.

Then again, the policemen I know are nearing the ends of their careers, as they mostly have 25+ years on the job. I don’t know too many of the younger guys, so I can’t really comment on them. “It’s possible” is as far as I’m willing to go on that.

Regards,

[patriot08]

I don’t smoke, but it is an established fact that alcohol causes more death and destruction than smoking ever has or ever will. Why no enormous tax on alcohol?

[ResponseAbility]

It’s amazing how much anguish *is possible* that your post portrays. If cities like New York descend into political payoff corruption then all bets are off.

[Chode]